ECQ dismiss claims of by-election for seat of Ipswich

by jgould

Joel Gould
Journalist
Joel is a journalist with 20 years of experience and since February, 2011 he has been the late reporter at The Queensland Times. Joel specialises in longer features and as the late reporter he chases all the breaking stories that unfold in the evenings. A die hard rugby league fan, Joel has been pushing hard for the Western Corridor bid to be admitted into the NRL.

UPDATE, 4PM: There will be no by-election in the seat of Ipswich, despite claims by former candidate Patricia Petersen that the ECQ was considering one.

Ms Petersen, who ran as an independent in the January 31 election, earlier sent a statement to various media outlets where she said: "The Electoral Commission Queensland is investigating several serious breaches of the Electoral Act and criminal activity that took place in Ipswich during the recent election. The issue of whether a by-election needs to be held in Ipswich is currently being considered by the ECQ."

When pressed about the criminal activity she was referring to, Ms Petersen said she had no further comment to make.

The QT has contacted the ECQ, and a spokesperson said the ECQ had investigated claims referred to them by Ms Petersen and "no further action will be taken".

"There is no reason for a by-election in Ipswich," the spokesperson said.

The seat of Ipswich was won in a landslide by Labor's Jennifer Howard.

1PM: Patricia Petersen has made a sensational claim that the Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) is considering whether a by-election needs to be held in the seat of Ipswich due to possible criminal activity that took place during the election.

The claim made by Ms Petersen, who ran in the seat of Ipswich as an Independent, is yet to be confirmed by the ECQ.

"The Electoral Commission Queensland is investigating several serious breaches of the Electoral Act and criminal activity that took place in Ipswich during the recent election. The issue of whether a by-election needs to be held in Ipswich is currently being considered by the ECQ," Ms Petersen said in a statement.

When pressed about the criminal activity she was referring to, Ms Petersen said she had no further comment to make.

The seat of Ipswich was won in a landslide by Labor's Jennifer Howard.